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Transcript: John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market

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AUSTIN, Texas (CNN) -- John Mackey sits atop an organic throne from his headquarters in Austin, Texas. Nearly thirty years ago he opened his first organic store. Now, he runs the world's largest retailer of natural produce, Whole Foods.

Though his company has expanded exponentially over the years, Mackey maintains his commitment to selling the finest produce, and highlighting the value of the local farmer.

In his words: it's all about quality.

Mackey: There is always a market for quality whether it be quality in automobiles, you name the category, apparel, there is a market for quality. Whole Foods our primary core value in our mission statement is to sell the highest quality natural and organic products available. So we have had this commitment to quality ever since we founded the company.

Lake: Were you always this passionate about food?

Mackey: I used to write a column in our newsletter that I called The Accidental Grocer and there's an old Talking Heads song that talks about "how did I ever get here?" and I sometimes think of that in my own life. It seems interesting when you reflect back about how I got here. But I mean when I was in my very early 20's I moved into this vegetarian co-op. I discovered I had this passion for food and I was very concerned about how the food was being produced so my girlfriend and I started a small store called Safer Way back in 1978. We did that for two years and then opened up the first Whole Foods Market. I began to learn about business. I learned more about food and so it has been an evolutionary process.

Mackey: I guess I believe that when people are free and they are allowed to express their creativity in constructive ways that they learn and grow faster as individuals and their knowledge gets fed back into the greater system and the company will flourish. I have this great faith in the intelligence and the creativity of individual people so I have tried to design a company that allows individual team members to flourish.

Lake: Is it possible to be as big as Whole Foods is now and still stay true to your core values?

Mackey: I'd say that's an American myth. There is a myth in American culture that small can have integrity but big can't. I don't think that is necessarily true. I think Whole Foods in many ways has a lot more integrity or is able to do more good today than we were able to do twenty years ago because we are much larger.

Lake: Is it hard to deal with the pressure from shareholders who really just care about profits?

Mackey: Are there any short term pressures? I mean there are some but that's the function of leadership is to do the right thing for all of the various stakeholders including the long term investors to create long term value for your customers, for your employees, for your shareholders, for your suppliers, for your community and for your environment. At Whole Foods we run the business to try to optimize each of those stakeholders so we have found that that philosophy works very well.

Mackey: We've had naysayers all along the way. And we have proven them wrong each time. Now what I hear is that it will never work in London. It will never work in the UK and I mean I am pretty sure it is going to work there. You know why? Because there is a market for quality and good food and good service everywhere in the world. And that is underserved.


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John Mackey

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